If I Could Turn Back Time...

November is a crap-tastic month for new horror films, not that I’ve had a successful run of supernatural stuff this year in general, so I scoured the pits of Hell (AKA Netflix) for something different. La casa del fin de los tiempos or The House at the End of Time is a film that took me two tries to get through, but I’m ultimately glad I powered through.

Dulce (Ruddy Rodriguez), a mother in a troubled marriage, is convicted of the murder of her husband and son, whose body was never found. Thirty years after her incarceration, Dulce is released and returns to her home where the crime was committed. She begins to have experiences with supernatural entities and fears for her life. She confides these encounters to a local priest, although she no longer believes in God. He attempts to help her put the pieces of the murders back together.

The film opens at the time of the murder and mysterious disappearance of her son, Leopoldo, then flashes forward to Dulce’s release from prison. The rest of the story is told in flashbacks, flash-forwards, and present day. It sounds complicated, but it’s done with such skill it takes no time at all to settle in to the movement. The story explores the turbulent relationship with Dulce’s husband, Juan Jose, the sibling rivalry between Leopoldo and his younger brother Rodrigo, and the love of a mother for her sons.

The ghosts of past and present bring focus to the house itself, which had been abandoned for many years prior to being purchased by Dulce’s husband. Even the priest’s investigation into the house’s background reveals some disturbing information. It isn’t until the last 20 minutes of the film that everything becomes clear. The revelation catches you off guard and is intensely emotional. If you aren’t bawling during the last 15 minutes of this movie, you have no soul.

To go into any further detail would give away the film’s creative storyline. The House at the End of Time has its fair share of WTF moments, including a brilliantly done, albeit short, séance that will make your skin crawl. However, the really special thing about this film is the way the characters are crafted. The take-away is that your actions have consequences, which can result in disaster even when they are well-meaning.

This Venezuelan thriller is the debut film of writer-director Alejandro Hidalgo and is still making the rounds at film festivals world-wide after its US release in October of 2014.

The House at the End of Time is available on Netflix and Amazon Video.

Sueprnatural Honey Rating: Four blind, wheelchair bound psychics out of fiveHave you visited The House at the End of Time?Tell Suzanne on Twitter: @suzebee04